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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

EV0429

Digital psychiatry in Qatar: enhancing mental health care through technology

DIGITAL PSYCHIATRY IN QATAR

The implementation of telehealth in Qatar was associated with a significant reduction in no-show rates for both initial and follow-up appointments.

The study aims to assess the role of digital psychiatry in improving access to mental health care in Qatar, examine the impact of telehealth on service utilization and patient engagement, and explore changes in no-show rates following the implementation of telehealth. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate, examining evidence on telepsychiatry and telepsychology services in Qatar in terms of accessibility, service utilization, and clinical outcomes. One study highlighted in the review compared no-show rates for outpatient psychiatry and psychology appointments in 2019, before the implementation of telehealth, with the corresponding periods in 2020, 2021, and 2022; it covered multiple services, including child and adolescent, adult, geriatric, forensic psychiatry, and intellectual disability outpatient clinics. The implementation of telehealth was reported to be associated with a significant reduction in no-show rates for both initial and follow-up appointments, with improvements observed across most types of psychiatric and psychological services. Results that did not follow this trend were reported for child and adolescent psychology and forensic psychiatry services. The poster provided no numerical rates, statistical tests, or effect sizes, presenting the findings qualitatively. The authors state that digital psychiatry, particularly telepsychiatry, has improved access to mental health services in Qatar and may enhance patient engagement and service efficiency while strengthening continuity of care. They emphasize the need for further research to evaluate long-term outcomes and digital psychiatry applications beyond telehealth.

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